Come To Me
by Child of Dreams
Summary: Welcome, foolish mortals... Let me tell you a story... a story of a forbidden love, a love doomed to tragedy, a love that transcends mere mortal lifespans, winding its way through the ages until the ill-fated souls of our doomed lovers finally find their way back to each other... So read on, if you dare...
1. Prologue

**_Come To Me  
By: Child of Dreams_**

 ** _Disclaimer: The Authoress does not now, and most likely never will own the legal rights to The Phantom of the Opera or The Haunted Mansion.  
Those belong to Andrew Lloyd Webber and Walt Disney, respectively.  
(sulking slightly)  
Ah well, a girl can dream, can't she?  
Anyway, a thousand thank-yous go out to my awesome beta PeachMuffin, without whose help, I wouldn't be able to make this phic half as interesting as I want it...  
(tosses PeachMuffin a bouquet of dark red roses, tied together with a black silk ribbon)  
I think I may end up keeping her...  
Now, on with the story!_**

Prologue: The Beginning

Palais Garnier  
New Orleans, Louisiana  
October 31, 1881

The ballroom echoed with the sounds of joyful laughter as a group of musicians played a lively tune on their violins, dozens of masked guests mingling about, laughing and drinking.  
Paper faces on parade, the guests swirled around in a never-ending carousel of colors.  
Flashes of mauve and puce, greens and blacks created a fascinating spectacle to the faces hidden beneath the masks.

Among the assembled was 21-year-old Erik Garnier, the sole heir to the mansion and last of his family name.  
There were whispers among the social elite that he had fallen in love with a servant girl and that this particular ball was meant to officially introduce his future bride to society, but others disagreed.

"After all, why would the son of the richest man in Louisiana lower himself to marry a mere commoner?" the woman holding herself as regally as a queen sniffed haughtily.  
"It simply doesn't make sense," the ghoul whispered to the pirate, taking a sip of the bubbling golden champagne.  
"Complete nonsense!" the king chuckled merrily, spinning the queen around as the music spiraled around them.

The night crawled on, the excitement and mystery never ceasing.  
Guests laughed and danced, whispered and gossiped.  
As the clock began to strike the hour, the music changed to a slow, elegant waltz.  
The dancers slowed their paces and found their partners, not noticing as a servant appeared and silently handed a sealed envelope to his master.  
Opening the letter and reading quickly, the young aristocrat's face lost all color as he immediately rushed up the grand staircase, vanishing around a corner.

The crowd murmured in confusion and concern at his abrupt departure, but before anyone could go after him to see what the problem was, the clock struck midnight and a most horrible sound was heard, a cry of pure, unimaginable grief such as nobody there had ever experienced — or ever wished to experience.  
 _"CHRISSSSSS-TIIIIIIIIIIINE!"_

The music and dancing came to a sudden halt as the guests shuddered collectively at the pure anguish and despair in that voice.  
The servants paled and rushed off in the direction of the library, followed by several of the guests, all fearing the worst.  
But nobody was prepared for the sight that greeted them when Erik finally emerged.

A girl — an enchantingly beautiful girl with soft chocolate curls and creamy porcelain skin — lay limply in his arms, her head slumped lifelessly against his shoulder.  
It was clear from the tearstains on the young man's cheeks and the soul-crushing despair in his eyes that the girl was dead.  
But how?

* * *

[Three Days Later...]

It had only been three days since the Master's love had died, but the young blonde was worried.  
As she headed to her room, her mind was plagued with worries for the Master.  
He had completely shut himself away, not letting a soul in.

He had always been a solitary man, all of the household servants knew that, but there was something different about it this time.  
She could sense it.  
He had shut himself away once or twice in the past, but it was never like this.  
No, something was definitely not right.

As she turned the corner, she heard a slight creak from above.  
Frowning uncertainly, she looked up and a scream lodged in her throat as the world went blurry around her.  
Dangling from the chandelier, his neck clearly broken, was the Master.

* * *

 _"Although no one knows for certain exactly what happened, it was around this time that the rumors about the Palais Garnier first began to surface.  
Residents reported seeing an old gypsy woman at the mansion from time to time, but for the most part, the house was silent.  
It soon became the subject of gossip and speculation. _

_Workers in the home claimed that the house had a spirit of its own and could transform itself at will._  
 _Some said that daytime would suddenly turn to night and that lightning would strike on a sunny day._  
 _Others claimed that brass knobs transformed into bats, wall sconces became gargoyles and family portraits changed into images of the dead._  
 _Some even reported seeing ghostly dancers in the ballroom, who appeared and disappeared at will._

 _Today, the Palais Garnier remains a commanding landmark, an embodiment of the grandeur, romance, legends and mysteries of another time." - Excerpt from Haunted Bayous: A Ghostly History of Southern Louisiana_

* * *

A/N: Please review to unlock Chapter 1...


	2. 136 Years Later

Chapter One: 136 Years Later

Palais Garnier  
New Orleans, Louisiana  
October 31, 2017

There had been nobody living inside the Palais Garnier since 1881.  
Everyone knew that.  
So when 13-year-old Jamie Evers was asked to deliver newspapers to a seemingly empty mansion, his first thought was, "This has to be a joke!"

And yet, as he pedaled up to the huge iron gates, the boy couldn't help but feel as though something wasn't quite right.  
There was something about the house that felt… off.

The first thing that caught his attention was the silence.  
The deathly, unforgiving silence.  
No bird or animal calls of any kind permeated the air, no sound of life or people floated with the breeze.  
The crunch of the autumn leaves underneath his feet as he dismounted almost seemed magnified.

Pushing away the sudden sense of uneasiness, Jamie took a newspaper out of his satchel and walked slowly toward the gates.  
Gulping slightly, he took in the house.

One of the first things that he noticed was that there was no visible mailbox.  
He looked around in all the usual places — sometimes in these old houses, it wasn't completely obvious.  
The rich liked hiding everyday things that everyone used for some reason.

Frowning slightly, his eyes moved over the gates, searching, at least, for a callbox.  
Nothing.  
Maybe he could leave it on the front porch?

Jamie tried the gates, but they were sealed solid, despite the fact that it had been well over a century since they'd last been touched.  
The only way in seemed to be... up?

Staring at the bars, Jamie's eyes narrowed as he carefully weighed the pros and cons of climbing over.  
It didn't look too terribly difficult... after all, there were footholds.  
And the house didn't look that far away — he could be in and out in less than a minute if he sprinted.  
Tucking the newspaper back into his satchel, Jamie took a deep breath.

He got a firm grip on the cool metal bars above his head and braced himself to step up with his right leg, but the moment he pulled himself up, a sudden scream sounded from somewhere in the house.  
Startled, Jamie froze.  
He strained, trying to see who — or what — had made the noise.  
Mere seconds later, a raven swooped down from a nearby tree and called out, sending a startled Jamie falling backwards onto the ground.  
He winced at the impact, and cringed again when he saw he had landed on the satchel.  
He hoped he hadn't crushed the newspapers.  
His boss would kill him!  
"Dammit!" he swore under his breath, brushing himself off.

As he picked himself up, he could hear a voice yelling, the sound carried by a sudden wind that had come up unexpectedly.  
He tried to make out what the voice was saying, but before he could, the wind picked up again and drowned out the sound, scattering dirt and leaves all around him.  
Jamie tried to shield his eyes, but it was no use, dust flew into his face and clouded his vision.

He managed to open his eyes into slits long enough to make out what appeared to be a huge cloud of dust and dirt rising up in an eerie shape, beginning to resemble the form of a person several feet away.  
Scared and disoriented, Jamie stumbled backwards toward his bike.

Blinking, he managed to keep his eyes open for a few precious seconds as he mounted and turned around before riding away with the wind to his back, never noticing the single, slightly crushed newspaper that had fallen out of his satchel.  
The last thing that Jamie heard before he was out of sight was a voice in the wind crying out a single name.  
 _"Christine..."_

A/N: Please review to unlock Chapter 2...


	3. Christine

**_A Message From The Authoress: Hey, guys, just letting you know in advance that there's a chance I may not be able to update very often this month.  
My annoying aunt and cousin are staying with us until December 8th, so I might not have a lot of writing time until after they leave.  
I'm sorry..._**

Chapter Two: Christine

"Christine?"  
A soft knock sounded on the bedroom door, which opened to reveal a curly-haired brunette with dark brown eyes and soft, gentle features.  
"Yes, Meg?" 20-year-old Christine Rossum sighed tiredly, casting a longing glance back to the open book lying upside-down on her bed.  
"Raoul's at the front door!" 19-year-old Meg Ellison replied in a long-suffering tone.

The brunette bit back a groan.  
"Tell him to go away, please?" she begged desperately.  
The normally easy-going blonde gave her friend a "you owe me" look, but reluctantly acquiesced as Christine dragged herself back over to her bed, collapsing onto it with a weary sigh.

A month ago, this would never have happened.  
A month ago, she and Raoul had been happy.  
Just a normal, everyday couple... young, in love, and full of hope for the future.

She had first met Raoul when she was only seven years old, and the two had quickly formed a bond of friendship.  
They had begun dating in their freshman year of high school, and he'd proposed to her in the middle of their senior prom, and although they hadn't decided on a date for the wedding yet, until recently, things between them had been going rather well.  
So well, in fact, that Raoul had even posted a notice in the newspaper announcing their engagement.

But then, about two weeks ago, Christine had begun having strange dreams... dreams of a mysterious masked man with eyes that glittered like emerald fire and hair as black as a raven's wing.  
Every night, his velvet tones caressed her senses, making her experience feelings that she knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that she had never felt in her entire life - Raoul had certainly never made her feel like that, and all they'd ever done was kissed - and yet, they seemed so confusingly, frustratingly familiar - and then when she woke, always with the same haunting melody echoing in her mind, her heart broke anew because it was only a dream.

She had tried explaining this to Raoul, but for some reason, he simply couldn't understand.  
There was no getting through to him.  
When he suggested that she get tested for mental illness... well, that was when Christine knew that she wasn't going to be getting any help from him.  
No, she would just have to deal with this on her own.

A/N: Please review to unlock Chapter 3...


	4. A Mysterious Phone Call

_**A Message From The Authoress: JOY TO THE WORLD, I HAVE MY HOUSE TO MYSELF AGAIN, LET THE FANFICTION UPDATES RESUME...  
 _ **For those of you couldn't figure it out from that little play on words, my annoying aunt and cousin have FINALLY left my house for good - please don't let them come back - which means that I am once again free to update!  
And speaking of updating, I posted a new Phic last night, it's a one-shot titled "Think Of Me" and I would really love it if you guys could go check it out!  
I hope you lovelies enjoy your Christmas present!**_**_

Chapter Three: A Mysterious Phone Call

"And I just don't know what to do, Meggie!" Christine burst out frustratedly, gesturing wildly for emphasis.  
Meg, who had been sitting there listening to her friend rant for the past ten minutes, sighed internally.  
"Well, then it's a good thing that you dumped him, isn't it?" she snapped back irritably.

Christine groaned.  
"Yesssss... but now I've got him knocking at our front door every day, begging for me to take him back!" the brunette huffed, running her hands through her thick curls in exasperation.  
Meg winced at the reminder.  
"All right..." the blonde girl sighed reluctantly.  
"Well, we could skip town?"  
Christine laughed.  
"If only..." she muttered dryly.  
"But, unfortunately we still have school!"

Meg pouted.  
"Then what do you suggest?" she inquired, mock-glaring at her friend.  
But before Christine could reply, the downstairs phone rang and the blonde jumped jumped to her feet, grateful for an escape.  
"I'll get it!" she called out, already bounding out the door and down the stairs.  
Shaking her head wryly, Christine followed her friend into the parlour.

A/N: Please review to unlock Chapter 4...


	5. I Have Come Here

**_A Message From The Authoress: Hi, everyone, sorry it took so long to get this chapter out, I've been sick these past few weeks.  
Needless to say, colds are NOT fun, especially when they drain you of practically all your energy so that all you want to do is sleep...  
Anyway, I'm feeling better now, I've got my energy back so that I'm not feeling the need to sleep all day anymore... oh, and I lost six pounds, yay!  
Now, on with the story..._**

Chapter Four: I Have Come Here...

"Meg, are you _sure_ that this is the way?" Christine pressed anxiously as she glanced out the front passenger window at the mass of twisting, tangled trees that flanked them on both sides for as far as the eye could see.  
Her blonde companion sighed in annoyance.  
"Yes, Christine, for the hundredth time, I'm sure!"

Christine huffed and turned her attention back to the window.  
There was something strangely calming about the marshy waters around them, like the sensation you get when you're returning home from a very long journey...  
It was almost as if she'd been here before...

As she gazed off into the distance, an image flashed across the forefront of her mind of two men dressed in 19th-century clothing crossing swords underneath a pair of towering oak trees as a large crowd of people watched with keen interest.

"Christine, are you alright?"  
The brunette snapped out of her daze to find Meg giving her a worried look.  
"Yeah," she reassured the blonde quickly, running her tongue over her suddenly dry lips.  
"Yeah, I'm fine..."  
But in reality, Christine had never been less fine in her life and as she glanced sideways at her friend, she knew that Meg wasn't fooled in the slightest.

The trees began to thin out and the two girls stuck their heads out the windows to see a curve appear in the road ahead.  
Then, as Meg rounded the turn and the car emerged from the trees, Christine suddenly gasped, her eyes widening in shock and disbelief.

A pair of towering iron gates loomed just ahead, and on the other side of them, she could clearly see the glass conservatory, the tall marble columns, the single tower looming against a stormy-looking sky...  
All of it was achingly familiar, and a sideways glance at Meg's chalk-white face told the brunette that her friend wasn't faring any better.

Before she even knew what she was doing, Christine had shoved the door open and was running toward the gates.  
The second her hand touched the lock, the chain gave way with a clink and the gates slowly eased open.

A/N: Please review to unlock Chapter 5...


	6. Palais Garnier

Chapter Five: Palais Garnier

The house was even more awe-inspiring up close, towering over them in all of its majesty.  
True, it was terribly run-down, but underneath the moss and grime, this place was a palace!  
Towering pillars of hand-carved stone, Christine could see the engravings of what looked like angels at the base, matched by the renaissance elegance of the elegant moldings, each one arching with graceful precision as they supported the roof four stories above.  
There was a haunting beauty to this place and as Christine walked slowly up to the front doors, she could feel something tugging at her soul, urging her to go inside and find its source.

"Perhaps we should leave?" Meg suggested uneasily.  
Christine turned to face her friend, taking note of her sudden pallor and uncharacteristic timidity.  
But before the brunette could answer, the doors creaked open and Christine's jaw dropped in astonishment.

There was no one standing inside to greet them, which should have immediately made the brunette suspicious, but the smells that suddenly overcame her senses filled her with a warmth that she had never known before, one that felt as comforting as though someone had just taken her into their embrace.  
It was as though she could breathe properly for the first time in her life.

While Meg hung back, reluctant to enter, Christine's feet carried her inside, spinning her around in circles as she took in the elegant tapestries and paintings on the walls, the Persian rugs beneath her feet, and at last, the two grand staircases which curved elegantly upward and ended at a large clock whose hands were stuck at the stroke of twelve and seemed to have been so for quite some time.  
In fact, once her initial amazement began to fade, she realized that there were many signs of the passage of time in the room.  
The sweet scent of spices that had initially drawn her in was stale and musty, as if the door she'd just walked through hadn't been opened for years, while all the lamps, along with the massive chandelier above her head were covered in God only knew how many layers of dust and cobwebs.

Before her mind could dwell on it for too long, though, there was a sudden crash of thunder and lightning flashed, illuminating the room and revealing a figure standing directly in front of her.  
He appeared to be somewhere in his fifties and wore a crisp black butler's uniform that must have gone out of style at least 100 years ago.  
As his eyes met hers, it took all of Christine's willpower to keep from fleeing right then and there.  
The logical part of her mind insisted that she had never seen this man before and therefore her reaction was completely irrational, but there was another part of her mind that was freaking out, screaming "DANGER! RUN!" as loudly and insistently as possible.

"Mlle. Rossum?" The man rasped out hoarsely.  
Unable to speak, the brunette merely nodded, grateful for the supportive presence of Meg, who had finally found the courage to enter the house and stood just behind her.  
"My name is Ramsley. If you would kindly follow me, please, the Master will meet you in the dining room."

Christine shared an uneasy glance with Meg as they followed Ramsley down the hallway that he had entered from.  
She couldn't help noticing the suits of armor that stood against the wall on each side, looking as though ready to spring to life and jump into battle at a moment's notice.  
But their allure immediately vanished as Ramsley pushed open a pair of ornate French doors at the end of the hall and stepped aside to allow the two girls entry.

A/N: Please review to unlock Chapter 6...


	7. Meet The Master

Chapter Six: Meet The Master

The room that they stepped into was one that Christine had only ever dreamed of - with a magnificent high ceiling, shining marble floors, and beautiful Italianate windows which were draped heavily in rich red fabric.  
A long dining table stood in the center of the room, set with what looked like enough food for twenty people, let alone three!  
As she stepped forward for a better look, a vision flashed across her mind.

 _She was surrounded by dozens of masked figures, all dressed in brightly-colored clothing that transformed them into a dizzying kaleidoscope of colors as they twirled gracefully around her, moving so quickly that it was impossible to make out their faces.  
And then she realized that she wasn't alone.  
There was a hand gently grasping onto hers and another around her waist, leading her in the same dance as the others.  
She glanced tentatively up at her partner's face and felt her breath catch in her chest at the sight of his lovely green eyes..._

"The Master will be with you shortly."

The sound of that voice so close to her ear nearly made Christine jump out of her skin, and she whirled around to find Ramsley practically on top of her, staring down at her in that bizarre and unnerving way of his.  
Shaken, all she could do was nod in acknowledgement, and was greatly relieved when the butler made his exit.

Sighing deeply, she moved toward the large renaissance fireplace in front of her.  
It was tall enough for her to step inside and was framed with beautiful marbled stone.  
All around it were carved scenes from Greek mythology and Christine could feel herself getting swept away in its artistry.  
It was so very rare to see pieces of such timeless elegance existing outside of a museum or an antique shop...

"Have you ever seen a fireplace this amazing?" Christine breathed, allowing her thoughts to take voice as she admired the hearth in front of her.  
Meg walked up beside her.  
"Yeah, sure, it's nice," the blonde sighed reluctantly.  
"Now can we please get out of here before something happens?"

But Christine wasn't listening.  
"Look at this detail..." she gasped in awe.  
"I've never seen anything like it."

Meg grabbed her arm and began pulling her toward the door.  
"And now you have!" she snapped.  
"Now please, Chris, I'm serious, we need to leave now before it's too late!"  
Christine looked at her friend in confusion.  
"Too late for what?" she asked suspiciously, wondering why the blonde was suddenly so eager to leave.

"Am I interrupting something?"

The two girls froze and Meg released Christine's arm like it was on fire, her face rapidly paling several shades whiter.  
Wondering what could have caused Meg to react like that, the brunette slowly turned her head and let her eyes fall upon the man who had just spoken.

Immediately, her breath caught in her chest as she saw his eyes - those impossibly deep emerald-green eyes - and the half-mask he wore on the right side of his face.  
It couldn't be...  
And yet, Christine knew without a single shred of doubt that this was the man from her dreams.

The only question was, why was she dreaming of him?  
She couldn't recall ever meeting him before...  
Although he certainly seemed to know her.

The second their eyes met, his face had grown deathly pale and his lips parted in shock.  
His eyes, which mere seconds ago had been cold and guarded, were overwhelmed with grief, anguish and confusion as he gaped at her for several long moments, his gaze flickering briefly over to Meg before settling back on Christine in stunned realization.  
And then his lips parted in a heartbreakingly beautiful smile.  
The shock on his features faded away to be replaced by what Christine could only describe as longing adoration, and she immediately found herself blushing furiously as she twisted a strand of hair nervously between her fingers.

It was at that moment that the doors opened and Ramsley re-entered the room carrying a large silver covered dish.  
"Mademoiselles, Master Garnier," he acknowledged with a cordial nod.  
"Dinner is served."

A/N: Please review to unlock Chapter 7...


	8. Dinner Affairs

_**A Message From The Authoress: Hi guys, I'm sick again.**_ _ **Thankfully, I'm pretty sure it's not the flu this time, but it's still taking a lot out of me.**_

Chapter Seven: Dinner Affairs

"What do you think of the house, Miss Rossum?" Mr. Garnier inquired politely once everyone had been seated.  
The 20-year-old bit her lip.  
"It's almost impossible to describe..." she began slowly, thinking hard.  
"I know this might sound insane, but there's something so familiar about this place..."

She broke off with a yelp as Meg kicked her underneath the table and glared at her friend before returning her attention to Master Garnier.  
"It's almost like I've been here before..." she finished quietly, face flaming in embarrassment.  
Meg thunked her head down on the table.  
"Now you've done it..." she mumbled under her breath, but Christine chose to ignore the blonde in favor of their newly-arrived meal.  


As she glanced at the auburn-haired woman who had just placed a steaming platter of crawfish linguine on the table, their eyes connected and the brunette's words trailed off.  
She knew this woman.  
She didn't know how, but something about her felt strangely, impossibly familiar.  
And clearly it wasn't just Christine's imagination as the woman was staring at both her and Meg with the same shocked expression that Mr. Garnier had worn when he'd first seen her.  
She looked like she was about to cry...

"Giry," Mr. Garnier interjected pointedly, and the woman immediately looked away, hurriedly going about her business with the food.  
"You were saying, Miss Rossum?" he looked back at her, face softening once more and Christine couldn't help but smile slightly in return.  
"Only that your home is absolutely breathtaking, Mr. Garnier. It's like something from a dream... or a dream of a dream..."

A/N: Please review to unlock Chapter 8...


	9. Dinner Affairs, Part II

Chapter Eight: Dinner Affairs, Part II

"This house is my inheritance and my birthright," Mr. Garnier said quietly as they ate, appearing lost in visions of the past.  
"But lately it's become too much to bear."  
A shadow fell over the unmasked portion of his face as his eyes glittered strangely in the dusty gloom and flickering candlelight.  
"Tell me, Miss Rossum. Do you believe in ghosts?"

Christine carefully set her glass down, uncomfortably aware as she did so of Ramsley's unblinking stare boring holes into the side of her head.  
As she opened her mouth, about to say that 'No, she most certainly did not believe in ghosts, was this their weird idea of a joke?', she suddenly remembered the dreams she'd been having for the past two weeks, dreams of a man she had never met until today... and this house!  
Christine's eyes widened in shock and disbelief, her face paling rapidly as her confused mind began putting the pieces together.  
For the past two weeks, she had been dreaming of this house, as though she had actually lived here at some point in her life, and yet she knew that wasn't possible.

"Miss Rossum?"  
Mr. Garnier looked concerned, and Christine suddenly realized that she hadn't replied to his question.  
She opened her mouth to answer, but then her stomach lurched painfully and she doubled over with a gasp, partially-digested crawfish linguine spewing out of her mouth and all over Ramsley's polished leather shoes.

She heard the exclamations of disgust and moaned in embarrassment, closing her eyes and resting her forehead against the table.  
Suddenly, she felt a cool hand touching her cheek and sighed gratefully.  
That felt so much better...

Christine could hear voices around her, one of them she recognized as Meg.  
Meg seemed to be freaking out and was being soothed by an older woman.  
Her voice sounded familiar, but Christine couldn't place it.  
Ramsley was barking orders at someone, and Mr. Garnier...

Her brow wrinkled slightly.  
Mr. Garnier sounded tense and strangely on edge.  
She could hear his voice calling her name, urging her to respond with increasing desperation, but she simply didn't have the energy.  
Then she found herself being lifted out of her seat by a pair of strong arms and held to someone's chest before he - for it was clearly a man carrying her - began to move.

Christine heard the creak of a door and tried to lift her head or at least open her eyes, wanting to see who was carrying her and where she was being taken, but her head was so heavy and her eyes seemed to be glued shut.  
She could feel the person carrying her moving in an upward direction, though...  
A creak of wood sounded below her and Christine let out a pained whimper, the sound agony to her sensitive ears.  
Suddenly, she heard a voice...

 _"Stay with me, let us journey through this strange new world  
Leave all thoughts of the life you had before;  
Close your eyes, let your spirit start to soar  
And love once lost shall be found and restored..."  
_

That voice!  
She knew that voice!  
She had heard that voice before!  
But when?

But before her muddled mind could puzzle out the answers to her questions, Christine found herself sinking into darkness.  
She tried desperately to fight it, wanting the Voice back, but the call of sleep proved too enticing to resist.  
The last thing she was aware of was the feeling of being gently laid down upon a soft bed.  
Then, there was nothing.  
Nothing at all...

A/N: Please review to unlock Chapter 9...


	10. Far Away, Long Ago

Chapter Nine: Far Away, Long Ago...

 _The ten year old raced through the gardens, her prize clutched tightly to her chest and breathless giggles escaping her lips, frizzy brown curls blowing wildly in the wind.  
"Christine! Give it back!" a slightly younger girl shrieked furiously as she chased after her friend, her golden hair tangled and her face set in a furious snarl.  
"You'll have to catch me first, Meg!" the brunette called back, laughing as she ran faster.  
The blonde growled under her breath.  
"Oh, I shall, Chrissy," she vowed determinedly.  
"I shall."_

 _Suddenly, the older girl tripped, losing hold of the little pink journal she'd been running with, and her blonde friend quickly took advantage of the opportunity to reclaim her stolen possession, stamping her foot lightly with a frustrated huff.  
"Mean," she pouted.  
The brunette just laughed.  
_

A/N: Please review to unlock Chapter 10...


	11. Love Never Dies

Chapter Ten: Love Never Dies

 _" - my daughter!"  
"Giry, control yourself!"_

Christine groaned in protest at the loud voices assaulting her sensitive ears.  
Almost immediately, the voices went silent followed by hurried footsteps and the sound of a door closing.  
Then she heard another set of footsteps making their way toward her before something wet and cold was laid across her forehead, causing her to sigh in relief.  
As she drifted back into unconsciousness, the last thought on her mind was _'Who was that?'_

* * *

Erik sighed as he wrung out the linen cloth that was being used to cool the young brunette's fever.  
At least it was working.  
Slowly, but surely, her temperature was coming down.  
Now if only he could get some answers as to just what was going on, and how his Christine - for it had only taken him one look at her to know that she was indeed his lost angel - was here, alive, in his house, when he had buried her over a century earlier!

Of course, there was also the question of how to go about wooing her when she didn't even remember him or their past together...  
Ah well, no matter.  
He had done it last time - her suicide on the night of their engagement gala notwithstanding - and he would do it again.

After all, true love never dies - and it doesn't let the separation of death end it either.  
She still loved him, Erik knew she did, he just had to make her remember their love.  
And she would remember, Erik would make certain of it.  
She would remember - and then they would finally be wed.

A/N: Please review to unlock Chapter 11...


	12. Meg

**_A Message from the Authoress: Happy Halloween, my darlings!_  
 _As of tonight, this story is officially one year old!_  
 _Wow, who would have thought the time would pass so quickly?_  
 _Anyway, my original beta, PeachMuffin, appears to have abandoned me, but thankfully I've managed to find two new betas!_  
 _Here's a shout out to Not A Ghost3 and Angel of Mystery-145!_  
 _(hauls in two life-sized Erik plushies, one is Leroux-based while the other is based off of the 2004 movie)_  
 _Here you go, ladies!_  
 _Now, back to the story..._  
**

Chapter Eleven: Meg

Meanwhile, Meg and Madame Giry were having a rather emotional reunion.  
"Marguerite?" the older woman questioned, tears streaming down her cheeks.  
Fighting back tears of her own, Meg couldn't do more than nod.  
" _Oui, Maman_ ," she sniffled, her voice shaky and hoarse.

"Where have you been?" the auburn-haired woman demanded furiously.  
"You disappeared without a single word not even two weeks after Christine's death, you foolish girl!  
Did you even think of what your actions would do to your poor _Maman_?"

Meg cringed.  
"Mother, please, I had to -"

But she was cut off.  
"You could have at least left a note!" Madame Giry railed.  
"136 years, Meg! 136 years of not knowing if you were alive and safe, or if you had been brutally murdered and your body dumped in Lake Pontchartrain!"

"I'm sorry!" Meg burst out furiously.  
"But you were here too, you know what it was like after Christine died - all dark and gloomy - I just needed to get away!"  
"But for 136 years?" Madame Giry challenged disbelievingly.

"Mother, please, can't we talk about this later?" Meg pleaded desperately.  
The auburn-haired woman gave her daughter a piercing stare.  
"Very well," she acquiesced reluctantly.  
"But we will be discussing this, understood?"  
Meg nodded.  
"Yes, Mother."

A/N: Please review to unlock Chapter 12...


	13. Author's Note

_My Dearest Readers,_

 _I know you guys were probably expecting another chapter, and I'm really sorry for having to disappoint you, but I really needed to tell you all this._  
 _As I'm sure you have probably figured out, my update schedule for this story averages on once a month, sometimes twice a month if my muse is feeling especially active..._  
 _However I have been known to go two or three months without updating due to Writer's Block..._

 _Now, this brings me to the reason for this note._  
 _Two days ago, I received a Guest review signed " Anonymous Nobody Person" which really upset me._  
 _Now I'm not going to post what it said here, but if you really want to know, just go to the " Reviews" page for this fic and you'll see it._

 _Anyways, as I was saying before, my update schedule is generally once a month._  
 _However, for the month of November (and possibly December as well, we'll just have to wait and see how it goes), I will not be updating any of my fics (except A Time For Us, and that's only because I have the next 15 chapters pre-written)._

 _Now, before you get all upset with me, please allow me to explain my reasons for doing this._  
 _When I posted Chapter 12 sometime around 10:30 on Halloween night, I'd had to call 911 to come and take my dad to the ER only six hours earlier._  
 _This has happened often enough in the past that I figured they'd take him in, run some tests, fix whatever was wrong, and he'd be home later that night - or at the absolute latest, the next night._

 _That didn't happen._  
 _Almost five hours later, my mom told me that he was dead._  
 _That was a week ago, and I'm still processing it._

 _Needless to say, I don't feel much like writing right now, and it's going to be a while before that changes._  
 _I'm going through a lot right now, and I really need you guys to be patient with me._

 _-_ _Child of Dreams_


	14. Awakening, Part 1

_**A Message From The Authoress: I would like to thank all of you for your support and understanding these last four months.  
Hopefully with this chapter, I'll soon be able to return to my normal posting schedule.  
And to **_**Anonymous Nobody Person** _ **\- apology accepted, and you can consider yourself forgiven.  
You might want to choose your words a bit better in future, though...**_

Chapter Twelve: Awakening, Part I

Christine let out a weak groan as she slowly returned to full consciousness.  
What had happened to her?  
She had been eating dinner, and then everything was all muddled...  
Her body felt like it was weighted down and she ached all over.

Finally managing to force her tired eyes open, she was startled to find herself lying in a large, canopied four-poster bed.  
And the room itself was fit for royalty!  
Huge floor-to-ceiling windows covered with red velvet drapery, hand-carved mahogany furniture that looked to be genuine Louis-Philippe pieces, a gilded vanity... Jesus, Mary and Joseph, just how much money did the owner of this place have, to be able to afford all of this?

Her tired body protesting, Christine carefully sat up in bed - and immediately wished she hadn't.  
Her head swam and lights danced behind her eyes as she fell back onto her pillows with a groan.  
Her second attempt was more successful and, with a lot of effort, she managed to get to her feet and began walking toward the door.  
Upon turning the handle, however, she found it to be locked.

Huffing in frustration, the 21-year-old looked around for something, anything, that would allow her to pick the lock, but to no avail.  
She was well and truly stuck here.  
But where was Meg?

As she pondered, a sudden wave of exhaustion crashed over her and Christine found herself stumbling back toward the bed, collapsing gratefully onto the soft mattress.  
Who would have thought that the short walk from her bed to the door would have made her so tired.  
It wasn't long before she was once again asleep.

A/N: Please review to unlock Chapter 13...  



	15. Awakening, Part 2

Chapter Twelve: Awakening, Part II

The next time Christine woke, she was not alone.  
Meg was slumped over in a chair next to her bed, a steaming mug of tea on the nightstand.

As Christine slowly pushed herself up into a sitting position, the blonde awoke.  
"Christine? How are you feeling? I fixed you some tea to help your stomach."

"Better, thank you," Christine replied as she took a careful sip, glancing around at her surroundings.  
"But what is this place, and why does it seem so familiar?"  
Meg gulped, her face paling slightly.  
"It's... a long story," she replied evasively.

Christine's eyes narrowed.  
Meg was hiding something from her.  
And from the look on the blonde's face, it was something big.

She opened her mouth to press for answers, but before she could get a word out, a knock sounded on the door and Meg jumped up to answer it, avoiding the brunette's gaze all the while.  
Christine sighed and lay back against the pillows.  
She'd let it go for now, but she'd better get some answers soon.

A/N: Please review to unlock Chapter 13...


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